cancer

In September last year, Smash star Krysta Rodriguez was diagnosed with stage 2B ductal carcinoma—breast cancer. Rodriguez recently launched a blog called Chemo Couture, where she's shared some of her experiences battling breast cancer—including chemo and how treatment will impact her fertility. "I still want to be sexy, to take risks, to challenge what even I view as beautiful," Rodriguez writes. "So I’m pulling out all the stops. This is not time to bust out a beanie and hide. I’m going to try to live as loudly as I can. Cancer is not just an old person’s game anymore." She initially didn't want to undergo chemotherapy—"Chemo is basically an indiscriminate A-bomb that gets dropped in your body, nuking everything in its path, but I’ve got some eggs in there that I wasn’t quite ready to cook."—but doctors strongly recommended it. There are many unknowns in chemo treatment. The side effects are gnarly, but it wasn’t guaranteed that I would experience all of them. Except one. Hair loss. I’m an actress. I make my living with my appearance to some degree. So being confronted with the idea of my whole body changing has been a tough one. Oh, and for the read more

You're already well aware that smoking is bad news—of the 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, 69 of them have been known to cause 12 types of cancer (including liver, lung, stomach, cervix, bladder, and liver). Smokers are also more likely than nonsmokers to develop coronary heart disease or have a stroke, and women smokers may have a harder time getting pregnant. The list goes on and on...and now, according to a new study, the list has more to go on about. Researchers for the study—printed in The New England Journal of Medicine—looked at health data from nearly one million people, who were tracked for a decade. They found that smoking also seems to be linked with increased risks of infection, intestinal disease, kidney disease, and lung and heart conditions that weren't before thought to be due to tobacco use. In fact, smokers are about twice as likely to die from these illnesses than nonsmokers. The study does not outright prove cause-and-effect, but there is a correlation at this point. Still, the authors say that there are reasons to believe smoking is a key factor in developing these other conditions; for one, the more heavily people smoked, the more at-risk they read more

If you ever needed an excuse to share a smooch, here it is. Stand Up to Cancer wants you to snap a picture of a silly, sweet, or sappy kiss, tag it #KissCancerGoodbye, and put it on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook through February 14 in order to raise awareness for the organization's goal of helping turn all cancer patients into survivors. And the kisses can be with anyone—loved ones, friends, kids...even pets! Here are a few sweet examples: For #WorldCancerDay, Mandy Brisco and her two sons share their #KissCancerGoodbye picture in honor of their Papa. pic.twitter.com/TI3H00NFlU— Stand Up To Cancer (@SU2C) February 5, 2015 You have until Febuary 14th to show me your #kisscancergoodbye photos! @su2c
New @chasinglifeabcf TONIGHT 9/8c 😘 pic.twitter.com/eciXH39rWn— Haley Ramm (@halesbells) February 3, 2015 #KissCancerGoodbye with a #tbt of @AshBenzo and I from back in the day 😚 pic.twitter.com/r3BoOAnHky— Keegan Allen (@KeeganAllen) January 22, 2015 I want to #KissCancerGoodbye with @relaykcmo, so I don't ever have to worry about losing my beloved fiancé to the disease! Cancer has taken far too many of my loved ones in this life. A photo posted by Tina Smithers (@tinasmithers) on Feb 9, 2015 at 7:39am PST Seven years ago, read more

Triclosan is a synthetic antimicrobial agent that's widely used in all kinds of things you use every day: soap, toothpaste, makeup, shampoo, deodorant, and even things like pencils and cutting boards. It's been around for years—I vividly remember being instructed to treat my teenage skin with triclosan-based soap—but it's recently come under fire for possible health risks, including harm to the immune system and disrupting hormone regulation. Now a new study is suggesting that the chemical might also play a role in the development of liver cancer. Researchers from the University of California at San Diego found that mice who were exposed to triclosan for six months—the human equivalent of 18 years—experienced more and larger liver tumors than mice who were not exposed to the chemical. Some of the triclosan mice also developed kidney fibrosis. The researchers suspect that triclosan could interfere with a protein that helps flush out chemicals from the body—meaning that excess liver cells could just keep on multiplying and possibly eventually form tumors. As you might guess, more research is still needed—but this kind of news does make you think about the things that are in the products you use daily, doesn't it? (The U.S. Department read more

Brittany Maynard—diagnosed with an aggressive, malignant type of brain cancer—announced that she was ready to "die with dignity." That meant moving to Oregon, one of the five states in the U.S. that will give her a lethal medication to end her life if she so chooses. She said that she planned to end her life on Nov. 1 and finished her "bucket list" with a trip to the Grand Canyon. But! Maynard has since had a slight change of heart. Her newest video is a must-watch (seriously get some Kleenex ready, because wow): Maynard says that she feels how her disease impacts her each day—that she can tell, every day, how her illness is progressing. But she also explains that she's still a strong advocate for the Death With Dignity Act and that she hopes to eke out all of the joys that she can during the remainder of her life...that she wants her husband to, someday, become a father. Lots of love and thoughts to you, Brittany. What do you guys have to say? read more

About a year ago, Hugh Jackman shared that he underwent treatment for basal cell carcinoma—a type of skin cancer. Not the kind of news one hopes to ever have, but Hugh has been proactive in getting checked out and has urged fans to head to the doctor if they have any suspicious spots. Today it was revealed that Hugh was treated for skin cancer again—for the third time within 12 months. Hugh's reps have reported (thankfully!) that he's doing OK after his latest procedure. Basal cell carcinoma usually occurs on body parts that are exposed to the sun (or tanning beds)—it can look like scars, scaly patches, or waxy bumps. There are an estimated 2.8 million cases of basal skin carcinoma diagnosed in the United States each year. When caught early, this type of cancer is easily treatable. Via Instagram, Hugh has requested that everyone wear sunscreen—definitely one of the first steps in preventing basal cell carcinoma (choosing a brand that is at least SPF 15 is best). The Mayo Clinic has a few additional steps to avoiding it: * Avoid the midday sun, when the rays are strongest (usually about 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.)—even during the winter or read more

At the age of 29, Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastaoma—an aggressive, malignant brain tumor that spreads quickly—shortly after getting married last January. Research has shown that there are few patients who survive more than three years after being diagnosed—but Brittany was devastated when doctors told her that she had much, much less time than that. She was given six months. Brittany and her family moved to Oregon, one of only five states that has the Death With Dignity Act—a law that gives terminally ill residents the option to end their lives through prescribed lethal medications that they self administer if they so choose. Brittany has chosen to end her life on November 1. She's spending her remaining time traveling with her friends and family, doing the things she's always hoped to do—she wants to see the Grand Canyon. She wants to die in peace, surrounded by loved ones. And, in her last few weeks, she's advocating for other terminally ill people to have the choice to die with dignity via The Brittany Fund, in conjunction with the nonprofit Compassion & Choices. And I think there's something else that Brittany expresses beautifully in the video—something that many of read more

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, yes, it's something that most of us think about at least semi-regularly—but did you know that it's possible to assess your genetic risks for breast cancer before ever actually getting the disease? Research shows that 5 to 10 percent of cancers are inherited. If you have a family history of cancer, it could be worth undergoing a screening to see just how high-risk you might be. Counsyl provides these kinds of pre-cancer tests, with a prescription, which have helped women make decisions about their health, while also being proactive in their future health regimens—so, hopefully, a cancer diagnosis never even occurs. A BRCA1 and BRCA2 screen—which usually costs $150 to $300 from Counsyl, depending on health insurance, and comes in the mail via a kit that requires nothing more than a saliva samples in a prepaid envelope (the results can be delivered and explained by a genetic counselor)—can help doctors identify patients who may be at higher risk; they can suggest more advanced screening than the usual suggested guidelines. Holly Thomas (that's her with her family, above) is a hairstylist from Camarillo, Calif., who has a family history of breast and ovarian cancer. read more

I swear Taylor Swift's secret side gig is visiting fans who also happen to be hospital patients. She recently surprised a six-year-old megafan who's undergoing chemo; she popped in to visit a nine-year-old who suffers seizures; she hung out with cancer patients at Sloan-Kettering for about five hours. And those are just a few of her visits. Here's one of the latest. When T.Swift stopped by to see a leukemia patient—who had recently undergone a bone marrow transplant—she noticed he had a keyboard in his room, and she asked if he would accompany her in a performance of Adele's "Someone Like You." This is really sweet: Taylor may not be the only star to make special hospital visits—Justin Bieber and Channing Tatum are just a few of the others—but she is certainly one of the most consistent, and, as far as I know, the people she's visited have had only nice things to say about their experiences with her. What do you think about stars visiting their ill fans? read more

Today is International Coffee Day (pretty convenient that it falls on what feels like the sleepiest Monday ever!)—so let's just take a look at some of the research that says having a cup of java might actually be good for you. It may give your memory a boost. A study found that drinking 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the size of a "tall" at Starbucks—could help you remember subtle details. It could help decrease your risk for type 2 diabetes. Recently, researchers reviewed more than 25 studies involving coffee and found that people who drank the most joe were up to 30 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who drank the least amount of coffee. Why? The researchers say that caffeine has been linked to lower weight and faster metabolism—two factors in diabetes risk. The smell alone may quell stress. A study of sleep-deprived, stressed-out rats found that those who sniffed coffee odors demonstrated actual changes in the brain proteins associated with stress. It may help cut your risk of some kinds of cancer. Coffee's caffeine content may play a role in protecting against skin cancer by blocking a protein enzyme in the skin. It may also help provide read more

Research has already pointed to a possible link between gaining weight and breast cancer risk. But now, a new study has drawn another possible link...this time between breast cancer—and women's skirt sizes. The study involved looking at the general health levels, cancer statuses, and skirt sizes of 93,000 women in the U.K., most of whom were overweight and postmenopausal, over the course of three years. They found that when the women went up just one skirt size over a 10-year period between their 20s and 60s, they demonstrated a 33 percent increased risk of having breast cancer, post-menopause. And going up two skirt sizes meant a 77 percent increased risk. Dr. Kala Visvanathan told CNBC: "The mechanism between increased abdominal fat and increased breast cancer risk needs to be better understood. Mechanisms put forward include sex steroid hormones, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. Previous studies suggest that body fat around the waist is metabolically more active than fat tissue elsewhere in the body." The study's authors say skirt size “has been shown to provide a reliable and feasible estimate of waist circumference," but they also acknowledge that clothing sizes have changed a lot over the years, and we all know read more

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, so next time you look in the mirror (uh, you know, multiple times a day!), check your neck. The thyroid gland is located just under the skin, splayed like a pretty butterfly across the windpipe and right under the "Adam's apple" area. Why are we talking about this now? Because thyroid cancer in women has more than doubled since the 1970s. And because this type of cancer can creep and grow super slowly with no major symptoms. Some of you may remember me from when I blogged about surprise single motherhood right here on Glamour.com. Well, a lot has changed since those diaper-changing days. Baby Jack turned seven! And I’m recovering from thyroid cancer surgery as I write this post. I had no alarming symptoms or pain—my GP found a lump in my neck during a routine yearly physical and immediately sent me for an ultrasound. The test found a 4+ centimeter nodule on the right side of my thyroid—everything following that day happened at warp speed. I want to educate as many women as I can about thyroid cancer and benign head and neck conditions. My surgeon, Dr. Erik Cohen of Leonard B. read more

If you've taken birth control pills in the past year, you may be at a 50 percent increased risk for breast cancer, according to a new study—and the types of pills you've taken may have something to do with that. A new study suggests that women who have been taking higher-estrogen birth control pills during the last year are at an especially increased risk for breast cancer, while women who had been on high-estrogen pills before (but went off of them before the study was conducted) and women on pills with lower dosages of estrogen were not at increased risk. So what kind of pills clock in as "high-dose estrogen"? Those containing 50 micrograms ethinyl estradiol or 80 micrograms mestranol; also triphasic combination pills with .75 milligrams of norethindrone. The results of this study are still preliminary, and there's still research to be done...but, for now, many experts still believe the possible upsides of birth control pills outweigh the possible downsides. If you take birth control pills, which kind? Thoughts on the study? read more

I do love me some avocado—my favorite after-run breakfast these days is smooshed avocado on a piece of whole-grain toast with a little sprinkle of sea salt. Delish. And you may already know that avocados come with heart-healthy benefits (they contain monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce "bad" cholesterol levels, lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, and help develop and maintain your cells). But it turns out that there are even more health benefits to these green ovals of goodness than meets the eye. Or, you know, stomach. According to Franci Cohen, avocados also contain phytonutrient compounds with anti-inflammatory properties—meaning they can help with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. And "The monounsaturated (good) fats in avocados have an amazing ability to reverse insulin resistance, thereby regulating blood sugar levels,” she says. "Avocados also contain soluble fiber, which maintains steady blood sugar levels throughout the day." Cohen says that some studies have even suggested that the antioxidant glutathione that's found in avocados could help in preventing breast cancer; she also says that avocado intake can help with the absorption of vitamins and minerals of other foods by five times. So! Everyone needs a few healthy ideas for eating this read more

You know that it's important to keep an eye on your moles, regularly checking them out with the ABCDE method to catch the early signs of melanoma and skin cancer. But two new studies are suggesting that the presence of moles may also be linked to something entirely unexpected: breast cancer. In the two studies (that were performed separately, by different sets of scientists), researchers discovered that there seemed to be a correlation between the number of moles a woman had and her risk for breast cancer. For one of them—by the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center—74,000 women nurses in the U.S. were asked to count the number of moles on their left arms. Twenty-four years later, nearly 5,500 of them were diagnosed with breast cancer; women who had the most moles were 35 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who had no moles. Meanwhile, another study followed 89,000 French women since 1990. Those who reported many moles were 13 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. The study authors stress that these findings are still preliminary, and there's still lots of research to be done—but some experts are speculating that estrogen may be playing a part read more

No one wants to get cancer. (Um, hello, biggest "duh" sentence in the history of the world!) But oncology researcher Kelly Turner, Ph.D., author of Radical Remission: The Nine Key Factors that Can Make a Real Difference, spent a year visiting cancer patients in remission from 10 countries, and she discovered something fascinating: More than 1,000 cancer patients had recovered without the help of conventional medicine (or after conventional medicine hadn't worked). Why, though? Here are just a few of the reasons she found out: * The cancer survivors increased their fruit and vegetable intake—while also cutting back on meats, wheat, sweets, and dairy (or eliminating those groups of foods altogether). They also drank lots of filtered water and bought organic food whenever they could. * When it comes to herbs and supplements, there's no "magic bullet," says Turner. Still, the cancer survivors that she interviewed took supplements that may have helped in their digestion and given their immune systems a boost. * No one (probably!) will feel happy all of the time—but the cancer survivors Turner spoke with reported that they made it a priority to focus on happiness for at least five minutes a day. And, interestingly enough, read more

At most awards shows I attend (OK, at every awards show I attend), I'm talking to celebs about their own nominated shows, their co-stars, or even themselves. But last Sunday, I got to say, "Hey, we're nominated, too!'. The 7th Annual Television Academy Honors recognized Glamour and Conde Nast Entertainment for Screw You, Cancer, a video docu-series starring the amazing Caitlin Brodnick and directed by Cathryne Czubek. (from left) Michael Klein (Executive Vice President - Programming and Content Strategy at CNE), Screw You, Cancer's Caitlin Brodnick, director Cathryne Czubek, and Grant Jones, (Supervising Producer, Creative at CNE). In Michael's speech, he also thanked Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive and Conde Nast Entertainment President, Dawn Ostroff. Screw You, Cancer is the first digital series to ever be honored by the Television Academy (those same prestigious folks that are responsible for the Primetime Emmys), and it joined other deserving honorees like Showtime's The Big C, CBS' Mom, ABC Family's The Fosters, and more. The purpose of the evening is to celebrate programs that have used the power of television (and now of course, the internet) to generate awareness and create positive change regarding today's important social issues. It was an inspiring evening, and read more

If your cell phone might as well be an accessory—due to how often it's attached to your ear—the results of this new study are worth listening to. You may have heard about previous studies that suggested that the radio-frequency fields associated with cell phone use could possibly up the risks of brain cancer. While other research projects have debunked the idea, the authors of this new study say that excessive cell phone use may very well mean an increased brain cancer risk. According to new research in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, subjects who talked on their cell phones for more than 15 hours each month over five years, had, on average, between two and three times greater risk of developing meningioma and glioma tumors. After eliminating other factors that increase cancer risks, the researchers studied 253 cases of glioma and 194 cases of meningioma that were reported in France during a two-year period, comparing them with 892 healthy people. They found a link between people who intensively used their phones and the development of brain cancer tumors—and, interestingly enough, the tumors often developed on the opposite side of the brain from where the phone is used. The authors read more

We come in contact with chemicals throughout so much of our day—lots of them are chemicals we don't even really think about. And now a new study has shown that some of those chemicals might actually be linked to breast cancer. According to new research from Silent Spring Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health, 17 different groups of "everyday" chemicals may be cause for particular concern. The researchers looked at chemicals that were linked to mammary tumors found in animals, then compared them with data that's been done for humans. The chemicals in question? Those found in exhaust from vehicles, paint removers, flame retardants (often used on mattresses, rugs, and furniture), stain-resistant fabrics and textiles, byproducts of drinking water, as well as benzene and butadiene—chemicals that are formed by combustion (such as smoke from tobacco, charred food, and gasoline). There's still a lot of research to be done in order to determine a specific cause-and-effect between breast cancer and exposure to the chemicals. Until then, the authors of the study devised a list of tips that can help cut down your chances of being exposed to the chemicals. 1: Don't idle your car. Use electric lawnmowers, leaf blowers, read more

Today is Melanoma Monday—not exactly an occasion to break out the cakes and party times but definitely a time to learn more about the most serous type of skin cancer with which about 77,000 people in the United States are diagnosed every year, according to Dr. Richard Bezozo, president of MoleSafe, an advanced melanoma screening and surveillance program that combines total-body photography, digital dermoscopy, and digital serial monitoring. And here's an even scarier stat: One person dies every 57 minutes because of melanoma. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at some of the surprising things that you might not have known about this deadly cancer—and, on the upside, some good ways of decreasing your risk. 1: Melanoma can occur any time of the year. "The lack of warmth in the winter does not suggest that your skin is safe from the sun and hence does not reduce the chance of developing melanoma," says Bezozo. In fact, during the winter, UV rays are intense on clear and cloudy days. "Due to the sun’s reflections off the snow and conditions that occur at high altitudes, be sure to apply a sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB radiation when you read more